Flash light switch



July 26, 1932. G. B. PRATT FLASH LIGHT SWITCH Filed Dec. 26, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY ATTORNEYS GOODR/CH B. P/WT July 26, 1932. G.B. PRATT FLASH LIGHT SWITCH Filed Dec;. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Rv 0mm 5 III, a WM I! Ir? 0 m A EE m Y WM 6 m FIG.3.

Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .GOODRIGH. B. PRATT,OF GBANTWOQD,I NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0. BOND ELECTRIC conronerron, orJERSEY our, nnw JERSEY, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

FLASH LIGHT swi'rorr Application filed December 26, 1930. Serial No.504,845;

This invention relates to circuit closers or electrical switches andmore particularly to switches for electricflashlights, hand-lanterns andthe like.

In flashlight constructions, it is customary to provide an inwardlymovable member to close the electrical circuit and illuminate the lamp.This movable member has generally been provided withv a lug or fingerpiece protruding outwardly of the flashlight casing for depression bythe finger when, say, a momentary illumination or flash is desired. Aslidable switch actuating member has also been provided which, in oneposi tion, engages and depresses the finger piece to hold the circuitclosed whereby a steady illumination of the lamp is attained. When sucha flashlight is not in use and is carried, say, in a pocket or tool box,tools or other objects brought into contact with the inwardly movablemember accidentally depress the same, thereby closing the contact andexhausting the battery.

To overcome this objection, safety switches, so-called, have beenproposed having an auxiliary pair of contacts in the electrical circuit,which are adapted to be closely independently of the depression of thefinger piece. These auxiliary contacts remain open when the finger pieceis depressed and are closed only by movement of the slidable switchactuating member which may carry, inwardly of the switch housing, a camelement for that purpose.

It has been found, however, that the slidable switch actuating member isaccidentally movable, in some instances, to the position in which theauxiliary circuit is closed, and in which the inwardly movable membercan he accidentally depressed to exhaust the battery. To overcome thisdisadvantage a safety switch is proposed having a safety position inwhich the switch actuating member is locked in open circuit position, aswell as having a flash position in which the circuit may be momentarilyclosed at the will of the operatorand a position of steady light inwhich the circuit is held closed,

Morespecifically, the circuit closer to which the. invention relates isof the kind, having spaced main and auxiliary switch terminalsconnected, respectively, to alamp and a bat tery terminal, which switchterminals, are adapted to be electrically connected to close theflashlight circuit and illuminate the lamp is by-bringing the spacedresilient arms of a circuit closer element into contact therewith, thedepression. of the auxiliary circuit closer arm being effected by themovable switch ac tuating member in flash position and the dem pressionof both arms being effected by the same member in the position, ofsteady light.

One object of the invention is the provision of a switch whereofthemovement of the movable switch actuating member is con trolled by one ofthe circuit closers, say the auxiliary circuit closer.

The invention also seeks a safety switch wherein a fingerpiece on theauxiliary circuit closer locks theslidable member in off posi- 7 tion. v

Still another object of, the invention is. a simplification of existingsafety switches to attain a reduction in the number of parts while stillaffording all of the safety features These and other objectsof theinvention and the-means for their attainment will. be more apparent fromthe following detailed description, taken in connection with the ac,companying drawings illustrating one.- em. 8 bodiment by which theinvention may be realized, and inv which Figure 1 is a view in verticalsection showing a flashlight to which the invention may be applied.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the circuit closing structure taken on theline 2+2 of Figure 1 and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a switch of thisinvention taken 011 the line 33 of Figure 2. and showing the parts insafety or open circuit position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3, but showing the positionof the parts of the switch in so-called flash position.

Figure 5 is a view also similar to that of Figure 3 but showing theposition of the parts of the switch to afford a steady light.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view of the switch taken on the line66 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 3and looking in the direction of the arrows and showing particularly.details of the co-operating parts locking the swltch in safety position.

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view showing the switch looking frombelow and taken on the line 8.8 of Figure 3, looking in the direction ofthe arrows.

Referring first to Figure 1, the invention is shown as applied to aflashlight having a tubular battery containing casing 10- here 1illustrated as of fibre or other non-metallic or non-conductivematerial, within which casing 10 one or more dry cells forming thebattery-11 are disposed. Obviously, the flashlight casing 10 may be madeof metal, it being merely necessary in such case to provide insulationbetween certain of the parts, as will be understood by those skilled inthe art; Each'end of the flashlight casing is provided with threads. Asshown, a bottom cap collar12 is secured, as by rivets or eyelets 13,tothe lower 'end of the flashlight casing and is formed with threads 14for the reception of the threaded end 15 of the bottom cap 16. Thebottom cap 16'Inay be of any convenient form and provided with anydesired battery contact element, here shown as a resilient member 17seated within the bottom cap 16 and bearing against the bottom of thedry cell to urge the battery 11 upwardly against the contact of the lampsocket support in the upper part of the casing, the bottom capspring'17, bottom cap 16 and bottom cap collar 12 serving as conductiveelements in the electrical circuit including the negative terminal ofthe battery 11, the circuit being continued to a switch terminal shownin Figures 3, 4, 5 and 7 as a rivet or eyelet 20 in electricalconnection with one of the rivets or eyelets 13 securing the bottom capcollar 12 in position by'means' of the electrical conductor 21.extending therebetween. At the upper end of the flashlight, the casingis shown as provided with threads 22 formed on the hood collar 23secured in any convenient fashion to the casing. Removably threaded tothe hood collar 23, is the hood 24 which supports the reflector 25 andlens 26 which are retained thereon bymeans of the lens ring 27. The base30 ofthe lamp is carried in a lamp'socket 31 mounted upon a lamp socketsupport, in the form of a fibre disc 32, removably mounted on the upperend of the flashlight. The flbre disc 32 carries a conductive member inelectrical connection with the lamp socket formed with portions 33adapted to interengage with flange portions 34 on an annular member 35carried on' the 7 end of the fibre casing, insulated from the hoodcollar 23 by a fibre ring 36, and secured to the end of the casing by aninturned flange on the end of the hood collar 23; Carried beneath thelamp socket support 32, 33, and insulated therefrom by a centrallyapertnred iibre disc 37 is a yielding or shock absorbing central'contactmember38 adapted to be engaged by the central or positive terminal 39 ofthe battery 11 and having a portion thereof engaged by thecentralterminal 40 of the lamp. The other or let 46 thereon within theswitch housing. a;

All of the partshereinbefore described are either well known or formthesubject matter of co-pending applicationsand, forming-no part ofthepresent invention, are described briefly merely 'for the purpose of31 0 general" understanding of the invention and the electrical circuitto be closed.

The switch in accordance with this invention comprises a housing 50secured outwardly of the flashlightcasing 10, which housing is of,generally elongated shape and has a flange 51 about its periphery bywhichit is secured to the casing and enciosin'g the two spaced switchterminals 20 and 43 of the- VVithin the housing 50 is a- 1' lampcircuit. more or less resilient member 53 secured between its ends tothe casing 10 as by the eyelet 54, At one end, the member 53 is bentaway from the casing to form a spring-like arm 55 which is normallyretained in spaced relation to the casing bv the inherent resiliency ofthematerial of which it is'made. The arm 55 is provided with a fingerpiece or push button 56 adapted to extend through an aperture 57-in thetop of the casing 50 and is preferably provided therebeneatl'i with acontact point 58 which, when the arm 55 is depressed, is brought intocontact with the bared contact portion 43 of the electrical conductor44. At the other end, the member is bent away from the casing to form anarm 59, which is also normally held in spaced relation to the casing byits inherent resiliency and at its extremity is conveniently bent towardthe casing slightly, as at 60, to 1 form a contact for engagement withthe switch terminal 20. Inwardly of the end, the arm- 59 is providedwith a finger piece or cam member '61 also adapted to pass through anaperture 62 in the top of the casing 50.

It will be observed that the finger piece 61 is substantially flat asdistinguished from the rounded shape of the finger piece 56. The latterlinger piece 56 may take any desired form for engagement by a finger, itbeing intended that this shall be the main circuit closer of the switchand be depressed at will to afford intermittent illumination as desired.The finger piece 61, however, serves as a cam member and is adapted toride beneath a movable switch actuating member, subsequently to hedescribed, and its height is determined, therefore, by the permissiblemovement of the auxiliary contact closer to auxiliary circuit closingposition. It'is also desirable to limit the size of the finger piece61in that it is sought to prevent its accidental depression and,therefore, it is caused to project above the housing as little aspossible and only enough to enable it to engage the slide and forengagement by the finger. Beads 64 are shownformed on the housing oneach side of the movable switch actuating member, of a height greaterthan the top of the finger piece 61 in its outer limit of movement so asto guard the linger piece to prevent accidental contact therewith. y

Slidably mounted onthe top of the housing 50 is a movable switchactuating element or slide 65, which is secured thereto by spaced cars66 (Figures 5, 7 and 8) bent downwardly for-reception in longitudinallyextending slots 67 formed in the top of the housing 50 and extendinglongitudinally thereof. The cars 6-3 are then bent, say, outwardly tosecure the slide 65 movably on the housing 50. A. portion of this slide65 is pressed outwardly away from the housing 50 into, say, discoidalform, as a projection to be engaged by, the finger by which the slide 65may be reciprocated on the housing 50. At its forward end, the slide isconveniently bent upwardly as a cam surface 68 to engage the fingerpiece 56 when the slide is in its forward position and thereby depressthe main circuit closer to bring and hold 113 in con tact with the mainswitch terminal 43. Rearwardly, the slide is providedwith an aperture 70adapted to register with the aperture 62 in the top of the casing 50 andto receive the cam member 61 when the slide 65 is in fully retracted orsafety position.

Normally, when the flashlight is not in use, the parts of the safetyswitch are in the position shown in Figure 3, in which the slide 65 isto the right as viewed in that figure, with the aperture 7 0 in theslide in register with the aperture 62 in the casing so that the cammember 61 passes through both registering apertures and permits thecontact to be moved away from the auxiliary switch terminal 20. Eventhough the finger piece 56 is pressed downwardly to bring the contact 58into contact with the main switch terminal 18, the circuit will not, beclosed as there is still a gap between the auxiliary closer 60 and theauxiliary switch terminal 20. This contact 60, :20 cannot be closeduntil thecam member 61- is depressed. It would be extremely awkward toattempt. to close both main and auxiliary contacts by manuallydepressingboth finger pieces. 56 and 61. The slide 65 is, therefore,availed of to maintain the auxiliary contacts closed while, say, thebutton 56 is depressedv manually. This is accomplished by depressing thefinger piece 61 until it is beneath the slide and then moving the slide65, say, to the fiashposition shown in Figure 4, at which time thefinger piece is held down until anedge on the aperture in the slide .65is over a portion of the cam member 61 holding the same depressed tobring the auxiliary circuit closer 60 into engagement with the auxiliaryswitch terminal 20. Then pressure may be applied to the push button 56to depress the main circuit eloser55 and bring its contact 58 intoengagement with the main switch terminal 43 to complete the circuit.Upon release of pressure, the resiliency of arm 55 immediately carriesthe main circuit closingcontact 58 away from the main switch-terminal 43and the circuit is broken. 7

If a steady light is desired, the slide is moved still further along thehousing until it reachesthe position shown in Figure 5' in which the camsurface 68 on the slide ongages the finger piece 56 and holds it in thedepressed position there shown with the main circuit closer 55 inelectrical connection with the main switch terminal 43. The cam member61011 the auxiliary circuit closer is, of course, still held depressedby the slide to maintain the electrical connection between the auxiliarycontacts.

When it is no longer desired to illuminate the lamp, the circuit isopened bymoving the slide rearwardly to its extreme position as shown inFigure 3, at which the aperture 7 O in the slide 65 is brought intoregister with the cam receiving aperture 62 in the housing 50. In thisposition, the resilient arm 59 tends to move the cam member 61 upwardlyinto the registering apertures 62, 70 and brings the auxiliary circuitcloser away from the auxiliary switch terminal 20, as shown, the maincircuit closer 55 also moving away from the main switch terminal 43 sosoon as it is released by the cam member 68 on the slide 65.

It will. thus be seen that a safety switch for flashlights has beenprovided which is extremely simple of construction, is composed of fewparts and is'provided with means for locking the same in open circuit orsafety position to prevent inadvertent closingof the circuit and thewasting of the battery. To unlock the slide and close the auxiliarycircuit requires movement in two directions. First, an inward force mustbe applied on the finger piece 61 to depress it and release the slide,then a force must be applied at right angles to the first named force tomove the slide to a position in which the auxiliary circuit contacts 20and 60 remain closed. To apply such oppositely directed forcesaccidentally, in proper sequence, is practically impossible and hencethe safety switch of this invention is entirely eiiicacious.

Various modifications willoccur to those skilled in the art in thecomposition, disposition and configuration of the component elementsgoing to make up the invention as a whole, as well as in the selectionand/ or combination of certain of the features independently of others,and no limitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoingspecificat-ion or illustrations in the accompanying drawings, except asindicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is v 1. A safety switch comprising resilient main andauxiliary circuit ciosers adapted for series connection in an electriccircuit and movable means movable in one direction to move said closersto circuit closing position and movable in an opposite direction to movesaid closers to circuit opening position as a'result of their inherentresiliency, cooperative locking means being providedbetween one of saidcircuit closers and said movable meansto lock the same in circuitopening position.

7 2. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans adapted to be moved in one direction to progressively move saidclosers to circuit closing position and adapted to be moved in anopposite direction to permit said closers to progressively move tocircuit opening position as a result of their inherent resiliency,interlocking means being carried by one of said circuit closers and saidmovable means, respectively, to lock said means in circuit openingposition.

3. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans adapted to be moved in one direction to move said closers tocircuit closing position and adapted to be moved in an oppositedirection to move said closers to circuit opening position as a resultof their inherent resiliency, one of said circuit closers being adaptedto control said movable means to lock sail meansin circuit openingposition.

4. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans adapted to be moved in one direction to progressively move saidclosers to circuit closing position and adapted to be moved in anopposite direction to permit said closers to progressively move tocircuit opening position as a result of their inherent resiliency,interengaging means being carried with said auxiliary circuit closer andsaid movable means, respectively, to lock said means in circuit openingposition.

5. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans adapted to be moved in one direction to progressively move saidclosers to circuit closing position and adapted to be moved in anopposite direction to permit said closers to progressively move tocircuit opening position as a result of their inherent resiliency, saidmovable means being formed with a cutout portion and means carried withsaid auxiliary circuit closer to be received in the cutout portion ofsaid movable means to lock the same in circuit opening position. 7

'6. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans formed with an aperture and adapted to be moved in one directionto progressively move said closers to circuit closing position andadapted to be moved in an opposite direction to permit said closers toprogressively move to circuit opening position as a result of theirinherent resiliency,

an exposed finger piece being provided on said auxiliary circuit closerprojecting hrough the aperture formed in said movable means to lock thesame in circuit opening position.

7. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans adapted to be moved in one direction to progressively move saidclosers to circuit closing position and adapt ed to be moved in anopposite direction to permit said closers to progressively move tocircuit opening position as a result of'their inherent resiliency, oneof said circuit closers being adapted to control the movable means tolock the same in circuit opening position.

8. A safety switch comprising resilient main and auxiliary circuitclosers adapted for series connection in an electric circuit and movablemeans adapted to be moved in one direction to progressively move said.closers to circuit closing position and adapted to be moved in anopposite direction to permit said closers to progressively move tocircuit opening position as aresult of their inherent resiliency, saidauxiliary circuit closer being adapted to control the move- 5 ment ofthe movable means to lock the same in circuit opening position.

9. A safety switch comprising a pair of spaced switch terminals, circuitclosing elements normally retained out of contact with said switchterminals by their inherent resiliency and electrically connected onewith another, said circuit closing elements being provided,respectively, with abutments and a movable element adapted to depresssaid abutments successively to bring the said circuit closing elementsinto contact with said switch terminals, one of said abutments and saidmovable element being adapted to interlock to maintain the same incircuit opening position.

10. A safety switch comprising a pair of spaced switch terminals,circuit closing elements normally retained out of contact with saidswitch terminals by their inherent resiliency and electrically connectedone with another, said circuit closing elements being provided,respectively, with exposed finger pieces and a slide formed with anaperture to receive one of said finger pieces to lock the slide againstmovement, said last named finger piece being depressible to unlock andpermit movement of the slide to retain a circuit closing element incircuit closing position.

11. A safety switch comprising a pair of spaced switch terminals, mainand auxiliary circuit closing elements normally retained out of contactwith said switch terminals by their inherent resiliency and electricallyconnected one with another, said circuit closing elements beingprovided, respectively, with finger pieces and a slide formed with anaperture for the reception of the finger piece on the auxiliary circuitclosing element to lock the same against movement to retain the parts incircuit open position, said last named finger piece being depressible tounlock and permit movement of the slide into engagement with the fingerpiece to hold the auxiliary circuit closing element in contact with aswitch terminal.

12. A safety switch comprising a resilient circuit closer member havingfree ends comprising main and auxiliary circuit closers, respectively,finger pieces carried by said circuit closers, respectively, and aslidable switch actuating member provided with an aperture through whichthe finger piece on said auxiliary circuit closer extends, and saidslidable switch actuating member being adapted, upon depression of saidfinger piece out of said aperture, for predetermined movement, to efiecta depression of said auxiliary circuit closer.

13. A safety switch comprising a resilient circuit closer member havingfree ends comprising main and auxiliary circuit closers, respectively,finger pieces carried by said circuit closers, respectively, a slidableswitch actuating member provided with an aperture

